In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Romano;100191]Unbelievably, it appears to be a ring road! Have a look at this link - [url=http://en.comuni-italiani.it/072/011/mappa.html]Italy: Detailed Map of Bitonto (Apulia)[/url][/quote]
It certainly gives the impression of being a real road, doesn't it, Romano. Zooming in as much as I can on Google Earth, you will see that the "ring road" is mostly just a small track though. Perhaps a ring road for sheep? I'm sure there must be an explanation for it, but what?
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
It's named after Sven Olaf Palme - have no idea why.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
One part of it is named after Pier Paolo Pasolini, and another bit after Ernesto Guevera. Che?
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
What's the connection between all three of them, apart from the obvious - all being political figures of one sort or another?
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I suppose 'of one sort or another' lets you off the hook for calling a film director a politician! (Actually, before reading your politician mention I'd thought that the Sven you had mentioned was somethng to do with football).
Just off to crash the computer again using a horrendously bells and whistled Google Earth Plus Alpha Beta Turbo version, which trawled up the 'other' circular road.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=juliancoll;100205]It's named after Sven Olaf Palme - have no idea why.[/quote]It (or part of it) got the name from the assassinated former prime minister of Sweden. He was a man after my own heart by both opposing the US in the Vietnam war and also opposing Soviet communism during the Czech oppression during the late 60s. And a lot more besides, of course.
Puglia, being for the most part, fairly open to liberal (not in the US sense) ideals, honoured his memory with the naming of part of this road.
But ... Ma ... It still leaves the problem - for me, anyway - of WHY this road (or whatever it was originally) exists? A chariot test ground, perhaps?
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
It used to be an incomplete circle, until they added the last Bitonto it.
Badaboom!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Nardini;100404]It (or part of it) A chariot test ground, perhaps?[/quote]
Who for ,,,,,,,,,,,,Biggus Stiggus perhaps ?
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
The thing which Sven Olof Palme, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Che Guevara have in common is that they were all three assassinated.
If anybody is able to get a look at a copy of Guida di Bitonto by Antonio Castellano (probably in a public library in Bari area) there might be a mention of the road. He is (maybe was) a noted archaelogist who did a lot of research around Bitonto.
There are some stone dolmens in the area of Bitonto on small country roads (photgraphs on the Flickr site, search on Bitonto, user called 'das blau angel' or something similar). It is possible they are on this circular road.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Fascinating, Charles, thank you. Might I add that the other link betwen Palme, Pasolini and Guevara is, or rather was, the fact they were all of a rather left-leaning disposition. Interesting also because Puglia has long had a bit of a right-leaning reputation (check the name of the university in Bari).
The early history of Bitonto seems to stretch back before even the Greek period, so the "standing stones" would be interesting to follow up a bit. I can't help but feel, looking at the satellite photography, that the circle has been there for rather a long time as there are sections that have distinct "ripples" in it - rather as the aftermath of an earthquake might leave.
I will next be in Bari in April, so if no one has had the chance to look before then, I will try to get hold of a copy of the book you refer to: Guida di Bitonto by Antonio Castellano.
Many thanks again, Charles. And Marc for making me "lol" and forget my healing stitches for a while. Well, almost! :smile:
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Here you go - actually it isn't a very ancient road at all!
"Opera realizzata nel XX secolo, l’arteria stradale detta poligonale è un vero raccordo anulare lungo diciotto km, perfettamente circolare con un raggio di tre km dal centro urbano (Atti dell’U.T.C. busta 24.1). Espropriando con un piano particellare centinaia di appezzamenti, vennero realizzati cantieri di lavoro per disoccupati, per lo più reduci del secondo conflitto mondiale.
Venne realizzata dal Comune e dal Consorzio strade vicinali, nell’immediato secondo dopoguerra e precede, in ordine di tempo, il GRA, ossia il grande raccordo anulare di Roma. La Poligonale è l’unica arteria in Italia quasi perfettamente circolare e di raccordo extra-urbano.
Tecnico fu il bitontino ing. Mauro De Gennaro (1898-1988), che come in seguito, sarà a capo della commissione tecnica per il piano regolatore generale degli anni ’50.
E’ da rilevare che attualmente la poligonale è stata provincializzata e quindi viene progressivamente ampliata nella sua sezione stradale, comportando, in tal modo, la demolizione in parte delle antiche parieti a secco che la delimitavano".
Tratto da:Vicende edilizie ed urbanistiche a Bitonto tra XVIII e XX secolo
di Antonio Castellano (Ed. Raffaello, 2008)
Next difficult question....!!!!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Who'd have thunk it, eh!
Thanks again, Charles.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Who'd have thunk it, eh!
Thanks again, Charles.
Unbelievably, it appears to be a ring road! Have a look at this link - [url=http://en.comuni-italiani.it/072/011/mappa.html]Italy: Detailed Map of Bitonto (Apulia)[/url]